Automatic water-level alarm.



S. Q. SAUNDERS. AUTOMATIC WATER LEVEL ALARM.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 1, 1911.

1,056,946, Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

p I a v INVENTOR Akfizaei 4x11 42241;

A TTORNE Y SAMUEL Q. SAUNDERS, OF NEW BRIDGE, OREGON.

ATYTQMATIC WATER-LEVEL ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 255, 1913.,

Application filed November 1, 1911. fierial No. 658,005.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, SAMUEL Q. Ssunnnus, acitizen of the United States, residing at New Bridge, Baker county, State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Water-Level Alarms, of which the following is a specificatlon.

My invention relates to means for automatically indicating the height of the water level in an irrigation ditch, canal or other body of water in which it is desired to retain a certain height of water.

The object of my invent-ion is to provide a device of the character mentioned, which will cause an alarm to be sounded or an alarm signal to appear, when the water level reaches apredetermined maximum or minimum.

More specifically my aim is to provide a signal apparatus which can be immersed direotly into the body of water it serves, and

which, through the medium of an electric circuit, communicates with suitable signals.

To this end my invention consists in a vertically adjustable casing, in which is slidingly sus nded a buoyant member operated by the rise and fall of the water level to close the electrical circuits which control the alarm signal.

The further objects and features of m invention are clearly set forth in the following description and illustrated in the appended drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showing my device immersed into a body of water as in practice, and also includes a diagram of the electrical connections between the device and the alarm signal, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my device as it appears inclosed in a sealed casing, Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on line A--A of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 represents a plan View of the device, Fig. 5 illustrates on a lar er scale the parts of my device by means 0 which the casing is adjustably "fixed on its support, and Fig. 6 shows other details of construction.

Casing a is shown immersed into a body of water 6 and is at the bottom provided with perforations 0, through which said water is free to enter. A float (Z, slidingly mounted in suitable bearings e, f, of the cusing, rides on the water entering the casing as described, and is made with arertically disposed stem 9, on which is adjustably fixed a bracket h carrying contact arms 2', j. Bar is, on which said contact arms are mounted, is preferably made of insulating material, or may be made of metal, in which case both of the contact arms must be insulated from the bar. A bracket Z, made with a loop m, is secured on and insulated from the inner wall of the casing, and so positioned relative to stem 9, that loop m encompasses said stem.

It is noticed that the perforations c are relatively very small, partly for the purpose of preventing foreign matter from entering the casing and thereby obstructing the contact mechanism, and partly in order to prevent a person from tampering with said mechanism.

s already stated, casing a is vertically adjustable on its support, and in Fig. 1, I show a means of accomplishing this. The support in this case takes the shape of a re a, which is supposed to be rigidly mounted on some stationary objectnear the water level. On the side of the casing is fixed a bracket made. with projecting membore 0, p, and the latter, are provided with n tches adapted to engage rod a. A screw 97, centrallylocated between members a, guextende through the wall of the casing and its outer end is made with a hook hoped head 8, which is caused to engage rod 11., whereupon a nut a, engaging the threads of screw t" inside the casing, is operated to clamp the casing tightly on the rod.

The operation of my device is as follows: Casing a is first secured to rod 11 in the desired vertical relation to the water level. Contact arms 15, j are next vertically adjusted on stem 9 to the desired position relative to loop m, and in order to facilitate this adjustment, one or both contact arms are independently adjustable on her is, as indicated in Fig. 1, by mounting arm j in an elongated perforation of said bar. Bracket Z is preferably also vertically adjustable in the same manner, as shown in the figure. The casing is then sealed by closing and locking a suitable door or cover u. Assuming in the first instance-the water level to be as shown in Fig. 1, and in the act of risin Contact arm 5 then approaches and final y touches loop m, which by wire 0 is electricaily connected with a battery w, from which runs a wire to bells m, From bell 00 extends a wire 2 to contact 2', while bell y is electrically connected with contact arm 7' through wire 2. When therefore contact arm 2' touches loop m, a circuit is closed between battery w and bell m, causing said bell touches loop m, but if the operator does not continue to rise until the operator receives the signal without iniuring the working immediately respond to the alarm given, and the water continues to. rise, the pressure on arm 2' and loop is may become great enough to injure said parts unless they were made unduly heavy. To eliminate this danger I may yieldingly mount said arms as illustrated in Fig. 6,where 5 and 5*? represent frames made of insulating material and adjustably fixed on rod 9 by screws 6. and 6 The contactarms 7 ,8, are journaled on said frames by arms 9', 10, and ret-ained in posi tion by springs 11, 12. When'arm 7 touches loop m, the armis free to yield against the tension of spring 11 and the float can thus parts of the device.

' My-device lends itself as readily to otherurposes. It may, for instance, be placed in the bottom of aship, and serve to display an alarm signal whenwater, due to leakage, reaches a certain, height.

My device may also be installed in a water tank, and the battery circuit utilized to control a power circuit dperatively connected with the feed pump of said tank.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an electric circuit,-a pair of signals in the said circuit,- and a contact "device operatedby the rise and fall of the water to actuate either signal; of a sealed casing encompassing said contact devicej and means for detachably mounting said casing for vertical adjustment, said means controlled from the interior of the casing, so that the position of the casing cannot be disturbed from the outside after the casing is sealed.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with an electric circuit, a pair of signals in the said circuit, and a contact device operated by the rise and fall of the water to actuate said signals; of a sealed casing encompassing said contact device, said casing provided with a plurality of small apertures near the. bottom for the purpose of admitting the water into the casing; and meansfor detachabl'y mounting said casing for vertical adjustment, said means controlled from the interior of the casing;

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with an electric circuit, a pair of signals in the said circuit, and a contact device operated by the rise and fall of the water to actuate either signal; of a.

sealed casing encompassing said contact device; a vertical support fixed in close proximity to the water level; means on the casing for engaging said support for the purpose of clamping the casing in adjusted position on the said support; said means operative from the interior of the casing only 4. In a 'd evice of the character described, the combination with an electric circuit, a pair of signals'in the said circuit, and a contact device operated by the rise and fall of the water to actuate said signals; of a sealed casing encompassing said contact device; a vertical support fixed in close proximity to the water level; a recessed bracket fixed on said casing for engagement with said support from one side; a recessed bolt for engaging said support from the opposite side, said bolt projecting through the wall of the casing; and a nut engaging the projecting end of the said bolt, said nut serving to draw the aforesaid recessed members tightly on to the said vertical support.

In testimony whereof I afli'x my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL Q. SAUNDERS" Witnesses:

K. F. DOU V IRENE 

